Vacation for Better Health

Well, here I am back from a week in the Caribbean with my family. I haven't had a real vacation in quite a while. Sure, I've taken the long 4 day weekend (I always have 3 day weekends) every now and then, but it's been a long time since I've been away from the office for a whole week! Ok, this is where everyone says, "Ah, poor baby!" I know I am fortunate to be able to balance home and work life well in my profession. Anyway, let me get to the point.

We often go through life in a stressed out mode; a mode that we are doing well enough to function fairly happily, but think that we can't take the time off that we should to unwind because we would lose income or whatever position we have built up in the company. This may relate mostly to people that are self-employed or in upper management positions but can translate somewhat to anyone that may have limited paid vacation time too. My practice management team requests that we take 5 weeks of vacation a year. I've been VERY hesitant to do that in the past. Five weeks of closing down the office could mean a pretty big amount of income lost each year. However, I must tell you how I feel this week returning to work. Refreshed is the best word! I can have 8 busy days in the first 2 weeks back and happily recreate any lost income without feeling strained or stressed. I'm ready to put more effort into the practice again.

So what's the message to everyone? I feel that most of us don't take the time that we should to enjoy family and re-energizing. Ask some questions. Do I take enough vacation time to make my work experience everything that it should be; even a joy? Do I take enough vacation time to let my family know how important they are? Maybe another really important question would be; When I take a vacation, do I allow myself to fully relax and get away from work or am I still in stress mode? This often occurs with post-graduate students worrying about upcoming classes or big exams (boards). Whatever your present situation in life is, take appropriate opportunities to unwind and enjoy life. Use vacation time to help with this.